“Sinful desires…war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11)

I know sin is bad; of course I know that: I’m a Christian. I know giving in to sinful desires hurts my Savior. I know giving in can hurt my body, my bank account, my friendships, my family. But have I realized giving in engages me in a war against my soul? I don’t want any part of that war, so how do I avoid it?

One way is to draw strength from community. My Real ID is Christian individual, but I am also part of God’s “chosen people” (2:9), a “living stone” (2:5) fitted together with other Christians, deriving strength from them. We are aliens and exiles together because God changed our citizenship. We’re no longer locals; what might be normal practice for them should be foreign to us. However, we “living stones” still have chinks which allow sinful desires to intrude, so war ensues. As I battle to make godly choices, I can and should lean into my neighboring “stones.” Together we gain victory.

We’ve just been through an extraordinarily difficult year and divisive election season. I know I should “live [a good life] among the [unsaved]” (2:12). I know I cannot be an effective “living stone” if my behavior isn’t honoring God. But then those sinful desires poke into the chinks, wearing the guise of harmlessness instead of harmfulness. How often did I want to “mask shame” someone, demean another for choosing this or that candidate, maybe even remove a campaign sign from a yard, have the last word in an argument? Did I think this “harmless” indulgence would elevate me? Instead, it hurts me, damages my soul, chips away at my Real ID stonework. Instead of actively engaging in the war, relying on community for reinforcements, I accede. Left to myself, I feel justified in demeaning another; I feel self-righteous; then I feel guilty because I stole that campaign sign. No, I didn’t do that, but even the desire to do so meant the enemy is “war[ring] against [my] soul.”

Yes, I have to live in this world but as a distinctly different exile, never mirroring its divisiveness. However, I’m not a single “living stone.” It is so much easier to fight the war against sinful desires with Christians on all sides holding up each other, protecting each other’s soul.

How are you relying on other “living stones” to fight your fight? Through small group? Zoom calls following Sunday services? Speed texting a fellow Christian? Rely on these resources. God created us to live - and thrive - in community. Together, we will make it through.